Basketball fundraising ideas for your whole season

Your basketball season has plenty of times where you can raise money. Maybe you've got a gym full of fans at home games, or a free weekend when a few parents are happy to help out. Or you’re AAU, busy every weekend at a different tournament, in a different place. Find the best basketball fundraising ideas that fit with the time and resources you have, while still funding the things your team needs.

Turn your home games into fundraising opportunities

Home games give you a built-in audience of supporters who already show up for your team. Between the cheers from the bleachers and the excitement on the court, you've already got the makings of a fun way to raise money. These basketball game fundraiser ideas put that crowd energy to work, giving fans a chance to get involved with very little setup needed from you.

Halftime shooting challenge

Give fans a chance to show off their shooting skills while supporting your team. A halftime shooting challenge is a short contest during a basketball game where fans come onto the court and take turns trying to make a set number of free throws or half-court shots. 

• How to raise money: Charge a small entry fee per shooter, and ask a local business to donate a prize for the winner.

• What you'll need: A few volunteers to manage entries, and someone to donate prizes.

Concessions or a bake sale

Turn hungry basketball fans into supporters by selling snacks and treats at home games. 

• How to raise money: Arrange for your team to receive a portion of sales from an existing concession stand, or organize your own bake sale with cookies, brownies, and other treats donated by families.

• What to consider: You’ll need to ask already busy parents and supporters to roll up their sleeves and bake batches of cookies or other treats and then transport them to the game without them getting crushed, melted, or eaten. You’ll also need a volunteer or two to collect payments and keep everything organized.

Bring your community onto the court for a basketball fundraiser

If you've got a little more time to plan and a few volunteers willing to help, get your community involved. These fundraising ideas for basketball teams take more work to organize, but they give players and supporters a chance to come together.

Free throw-a-thon

Turn your players' shooting skills into donations by asking supporters to pledge money for every free throw they make.

• How to raise money: Have players collect pledges ahead of time, then take their shots while volunteers keep score.

• What to consider: This fundraiser can take place during practice, so you don't need a home-game crowd. Just keep in mind that collecting pledges and tracking donations takes time and a bit of legwork.

3-on-3 basketball tournament

A 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser brings alumni and other community members together for short, half-court games. This type of event fits best in the preseason or on a free weekend since you’ll need an open court.

• How to raise money: Charge each team a registration fee to participate, with proceeds supporting your team.

• What you'll need: Access to a gym or outdoor court and volunteer referees. You'll also need to spread the word to recruit enough teams, which can take time and effort.

Raise funds online between practices and games

When your schedule is packed with practices, games, and communicating with parents, it’s hard to imagine adding one more thing to your to-do list. An online product fundraiser can help your team raise money without managing inventory or deliveries. It’s a flexible option for teams of all kinds, from school programs to clubs, since they don’t require any in-person work. It’s one of the more practical AAU basketball fundraising ideas, since club teams that play most weekends on the road don’t have a home court to sell at.

In an online product fundraiser, your family and friends support your team from wherever they’re cheering. Supporters shop through your online store, their orders arrive at their doors, and a portion of every sale goes toward your team’s goal.

When you raise money by selling gourmet popcorn online with Double Good, you can focus on the game, not fundraiser logistics. Here's how it works:

• Get your whole roster raising. Set up your fundraiser from your phone and get every player involved by inviting them to create their own personalized Pop-Up Store®.

• Your fans pitch in from anywhere. Sellers share their Pop-Up Store links by text, email, or social media, so friends and family can support your team no matter where they live (or where you’re playing).

• Supporters get something they actually want. People genuinely love Double Good’s gourmet popcorn, so it’s an easy yes when your players ask. Each bag is popped to order and shipped straight to the supporter’s door, so your team doesn’t have to touch a thing. 

• Put the money where you need it. Your team keeps 50% of every sale from your 4- or 7-day fundraiser to put the toward tournament fees or any other costs.

How Danka Basketball sold $50,000 of popcorn to exceed their fundraising goal

Danka Basketball set a goal of $10,000 to buy shoes for its players and ended up selling $50,000 worth of popcorn in their Double Good fundraiser. Since they keep 50% of every sale, they raised $25,000, which was enough to purchase more than 200 pairs of basketball shoes.

For founder Quinton Beasley, organizing the fundraiser was simple. He just had to send text messages to get the word out, while sellers customized their own Pop-Up Stores and got friends and family involved. One player alone generated $4,000 in popcorn sales.

“Double Good popcorn is so much easier to sell than tickets,” he notes. “Everyone wants popcorn. Every parent on the team said they loved the popcorn.” - Quinton Beasley, Founder, Danka Basketball 

How to choose the right basketball fundraiser

Choose a basketball fundraiser that fits your team's resources and fundraising goals. Many AAU teams need more than one to get through the season.

• For the major expenses: Tournament fees and travel tend to show up right when your schedule is already full. Schedule an online fundraiser like Double Good since they’re quick to set up and only take a few days to run. Because the average Double Good seller raises over $175, you can multiply that by your roster of sellers to get a rough idea of how much you can cover before you get started. 

• For smaller costs: In-person fundraisers like halftime contests or 3-on-3 tournaments work well to raise money for extras like a team pizza party or end-of-year banquet, and they help you connect with supporters beyond your regular game-day crowd.

Ready to raise money for your basketball team? Double Good makes it easy to get started.